Mount Elbrus Russia Expedition Live

Using equipment from Iridium and ExplorersWeb

we are now sending dispatches from the field to this page.
The system is experimental but seems to be working very well.

	June 18-19 Moscow Russia
	Photo by Michael Brown It is a little sad as the sun sets over Moscow and everyone goes their separate ways. Erik, Jeff, Deane, Ben, Kevin, Gavin and Smith headed home. Luis, Didrik, Alan, Charles and Eric went to Saint Petersburg. Tomorrow morning Chris and Kim will go home and I will be off to Munich. All of us headed to new adventures in new places. Thanks to Sally Berg who has been working long hours to make all of the requested ticket changes and travel arrangements. She is a truely great friend and travel agent. Our sunburned faces are almost done peeling as our great adventure turns into a great memory. Now we will get busy editing the footage from this adventure. Look for a film from us this fall. We will also be sharing this footage with Cohn & Wolfe for Eriks sponsor Allegra. We are also very excited about a book and DVD project from NVU productions that will include our footage of this expedition. Better start packing, the airport shuttle picks us up at 4:30 am. The air traffic controllers are on strike in much of Europe today. I hope I can make it to Munich to watch the USA vs. Germany World Cup game. Afer that its off to the Alps for a little more climbing.

June 17 Victor Nikolaev
The General Director of Top Travel Victor Nikolaev. He made sure that this trip was great for us.
Thank you Victor!

June 17 Moscow Circus
Tonight we were treated to the Moscow Circus by Victor Nikolaev and Daria Radchenko from Top Travel.

We were on the edges of our seats as the performers flew trough the air from catipults and trampolines. Really incredible performance.

June 17 Moscow
Today we were treated to a fantastic tour of Moscow including the Kremlin and Red Square.

We should mention the company that made this trip happen for us here in Russia. Everything has gone perfectly for us and while they cannot guarantee the same great snow conditions they have done a fantastic job with keeping our group happy.

Top Travel
www.topeurope.ru
ttravel@df.ru

June 16 Close to the Airport
Taking advantage of this bus ride to catch up on dispatches. Getting a little car sick.

Image of Luis Benitez at 14,000-ft on Elbrus by Michael Brown.

Another Sponsor:
Benchmade Knives made us personalized engraved knives. Very useful at the 'shashlik' or barbeque yesterday. The main course was delicious yet tough lamb. Thanks guys and we will remember to take them out of our carryon bags before getting on the plane.

June 16 Thanks to Sponsors
Our sponsors are important, without them we would not be able to do these expeditions. Allegra and the NFB made the expedition possibe.

I like cool new technology and an additional great help came from Bausch & Lomb. They supplied me with PureVision contact lenses. I put my current set in when I was in Colorado and I will leave them in until after I am home again. I am allowed to wear them for a month without taking them out. It is like having naturally perfect vision. Thanks B&L!

June 16 Pit Stop II

June 16 The Scary Part.
He hasn't scared us at all...screaming through the countryside and villages in a big red bus. Other cars, cows, children all jump or swerve out of the way. Normal here would scare the crap out of us back home.

June 16 Celebration!
This dispatch is a little late, I accidentally erased the dial up number for our ISP. Too much celebratory beer.

We are now on a bus traveling back to Mineral Vote for flights to Moscow.

Yesterday we hiked up a beautiful valley and hung out with Kalishnikov toting border guards. Georgia is just on the other side of the mountains. Chechnia is only a few tens of kilometers the other direction.

Tomorrow we will go check out Red Square. I will have to be careful not to get shot as a spy with this satellie equipment.

This has been a great trip everyone is stilll buzzed about the ski descent.

Starovia till next dispatch.

June 14 - All are down and safe.
This is Dave D'Angelo passing on a phone call from Michael Brown. He called in and said that everyone was down safe and sound. The team will be having a barbeque tomorrow in celebration of the successful ascent.

Many of the team will be hanging out in Moscow for a the next few days and Michael will be back in Boulder on the 24th of June.

On behalf of Serac Adventure Films and Michael Brown, I would like to thank you all for checking us out as we put this relatively new system through its paces. The response to this site was overwhelming and I hope you had as much fun tuning in as I did. Stay tuned for more to come in the future. . .

Shoot Mike or me an email and let us know what you thought of the site, comments, suggestions, etc . . .

Dave@seracfilms.com Michael@seracfilms.com

June 13 - Heading down
Eric Alexander ripping it up on the way down.

Summit!
Eric Alexander, Erik Weihenmayer, Luis Benitez, and Chris Morris on the summit of Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe.

"This dispatch was actually sent within 5 minutes of taking the photograph."

Photo by Michael Brown

June 13 at 1:00pm
The team waiting for Erik Weihenmayer along with Chris Morris and Eric Alexander. We all want to step onto the top at the same moment, as a team. They should arrive out of the white out in a few moments.

Photo by Michael Brown

June 13 10:00 am
Kevin, Dean & Ben headed up. That nipple upper right is the summit. We are at 17,430 ft, a thousand to go...

June 13 at 16,200-ft
We were discouraged before but the day is improving. We will try another dispatch from the top in about three hours. It is 8:16 our time 10:16 pm in Colorado.

Photo by Michael Brown

June 12 5:00pm
Kevin, Gavin, Smith and Erik waiting out the storm in the hut.

The moment of truth has arrived. After dinner we will all do our best to get a few hours sleep before being woken up at 2:00am. After a quick 'breakfast' and last minute preparations we will start out from this camp at 13,400-ft for the 18,510-ft (5640m) summit. Nearly a vertical mile of climbing into air that is less than half of that at sea level. By that measure we will be more than half way to outer space. The difference is that in space you can't feel the wind. Here it is howling and fully capable of knocking us off our feet.

The final descision will fall on Luis. He will have the benefit of the rest of our experience and opinions. The choice will be to go or stay for another 24 or 48 hours. If we decide to go for it you will not hear from us till the summit. I plan to attemt a dispatch from there when we arrive. This will be the best chance to show off our web dispatch system from Explorers Web and Iridium. It may be me that fails, not the technology though, as I may have
cold fingers and lack the drive to get the task done when the time comes. That time will be sometime in the middle of the night back in the USA.

If we decide to postpone we will send a dispatch right away. That will be at about 5:00 this afternoon Colorado time.

Wish us well, we need some good weather .

June 12 Snowstorm
Another snowstorm has moved in. The team is hanging out in the hut or in their tents sleeping or playing cards. We still plan to head for the top tonight but if it is still snowing we will have to postpone. The snow is not the problem as much as the wind and visibility. We have to be able to see to get down safely. (Erik says he doesn't care about the visibility. Maybe he can get us down.)

Luis quote, "If I have to hear one more time about Erik dropping me in the snow..." (He might cry?)

Erik has two older brothers to whom he attributes his surly attitude.

Didrik quote, "If this hut lists any further over this cliff we will end up in Azerbijan."

Kevin quote, "Don't worry about what others think about you because 99% of the time no one is thinking about you anyway."

Erik quote, "Another rest day like this and we are going to have to break out the Russian vodka and do nude snow angels."

Dean quote, "No one will love you more than your wife if you always share with her you innermost thoughts."

Michael qoute, "How am I supposed to climb if Luis used my ice axe to stake out the tent."

Russian guide quote, "If you were a German team you would have summited by now." To which Erik replies, "Yea, and ate it on the way down."

For more dumb quotes check back later.

June 11 Ski
Eric Van Alexander ripping turns on a steep icy slope at 15,000-ft. The best skier on the team he is most often seen skiing right behind Erik Weihenmayer giving him directions.

Photo by Michael Brown

Team Members
Jeff Hauser, Charles Macfarlane and Alan Chen are here too even though we have been neglecting them on the site. Charles and Jeff are quiet most of the time and Alan avoids cameras ever since an intense stint on a reality TV show. All three are great additions to the team.

Our Hosts
Our Russian hosts Oleg (guide), Leana (cook), Nicoli (guide), Luba (lead guide), Eugene (guide). With close to 100 summits of Elbrus between them we are in good hands.

Elbrus Expedition 2002
Our expedition banner.

June 11 Coffee Brothers
Brother in Law, Ben Quinn and Deane Blazie. Ben is married to Dean's older sister Diane. They say, "The summit is a long way away."

June 11 Gavin Attwood
This one goes out to Amy and Max, Gavin's wife and five week old son. Yesterday was Gavin and Amy's second anniversary.

June 11 Heading Up
This is where we are headed, and the smooth lower slopes are where we have been skiing for the last two days. We are trying for the highest of the two summits on the left. It is over 6,000-ft higher than here at the Barrels. By the time we return we will be very tired.

June 11, 2002
There is a certain mystical poetry about the mountains that can only be experienced when you are in them. This trip in these mountains certainly contains this poetry.

June 11 Morning
Erik sleeping in on our last night in the barrels. The wind blew harder than ever lasr night but it is calm this morning. Good news as we will be heading up soon.

June 10
Michael Brown making another dispatch to this site from his bunk in Barrel #2. Thanks to ExplorersWeb and Iridium for helping to make this fun website possible. It has been more successful than we expected and we have been getting great feedback.

Tomorrow, the 11th, we move up to our high camp at 14,000-ft. We will be going for the summit around the 13th. We will be sending dispatches from higher but, honestly, it will not be as easy now that we are leaving the comfy barrels behind.

Photo by Kim Johnson

June 10
What is an expedition without coffee? Luis Benitez, Kevin Cherilla and Chris Morris endorsing Summit Coffee who sent many pounds along to keep us going.

Photo by Kim Johnson

June 10 Team
The whole team, except Didrik who took the picture, with sponor banners. Allegra and the National Federation of the Blind are this expedition's primary sponsors.

June 10
Erik Weihenmayer and Eric Alexander making turns on Elbrus. Look for a Book/DVD project from NVU coming soon. The DVD will include video from this expedition.

June 10 Wind
Smith Maddrey clocking the wind at 53mph with his aeromter.

June 10 Loco Viento
The wind has been gusting powerfully all night, occasionaly moving the barrel and waking us. High up on Elbrus it has scoured the snow and is blowing up huge columns of spindrift. The sky is clear now though so perhaps the weather is improving.

Photo of Elbrus at sunrise this morning.

June 10
Kim Johnson trying out a Russian guide's goggles.

Photo Chris Morris

June 9 Tram
Kevin Cherilla

Photo by Kim Johnson

June 9
Didrik Johnck gets in on the action with his snowboard.

Photo by Michael Brown

June 9
Michael Brown throwing a heli. On the way down the weather improved for a beautiful afternoon.

Photo by Smith Maddery

June 9
Today we skied up through this. Gavin followed by Kim Johnson.

Photo by Michael Brown

June 8 Film Crew
The film crew, Kim Johnson and Michael Brown. Also supported by Dave D'Angelo and Ted Rupp back in the USA. Thanks guys.

Photo by Chris Morris

June 8
What happens when Chris Morris dissagrees with expedition leader Luis Benitez.

June 8 Morning
Waking up after a good night's sleep and dreams of yesterda's epic ski descent. This is Smith Maddrey on his telemark gear ripping the first slope.

Photo by Michael Brown

Rain & Snow.
This morning it is raining down here at 7,000-ft and it looks like it is snowing above about 10,000-ft. Hopefully it will improve soon. We need to get higher for accmatization.
We have now had two really great ski days, everyone is enjoying themselves very much.

This system and the ability to do dispatches is really fun and has added a lot to this trip. We are aware that the pictures are sometimes cut off and apologize for that. In the next few expeditions we hope to have this web publishing capability perfected.

We will try to resend some pictures that did not go the first time. As a result they may appear out of order.

Thank you for your patience.
Michael Brown

June 7 Elbrus
From yesterday, the twin summits of Mount Elbrus. The highest on the left at 18,400+ ft. We hope to climb and ski ther soon.
Photo by Michael Brown

June 7 Making Turns
Erik ripping it up.

June 7 Erik Weihenmayer
Erik Climbing

June 7 Elbrus Team
Top row:
Olag, Russian Guide
Luba our lead Russian Guide
Luis Benitez, Expedition Leader
Erik Weihenmayer, Golden CO
Chris Morris, Boulder CO
Eric Van Alexander, Vail CO
Next Row:
Ugene, Russian guide
Dean Blazie, Hobe Sound, FL
Ben Quinn, Glasgow KY
Kevin Cherilla, Phoenix AZ
Gavin Attwood, Lakewood CO
Smith Maddrey, Portland OR
Front Row:
Kim Johnson, Boulder CO
Charles Macfarlane, Richmond VA
Allen Chen, New York NY
Jeff Hauser, Loveland CO
Didrik Johnck, San Francisco CA
Photo by Michael Brown, Boulder CO

June 7 Climb & Ski
Today we had an absolutely great day climbing and skiing a 11,000+ peak called Chiget.

June 6 Baksin Valley
We are in the Baksin Valley within sight of Mount Elbrus. Everyone is packing gear, sewing sponsor's patches and getting ski gear ready for tomorrow.

June 6 Hotel Chezet
Tomorrow is the first ski day. Chris Morris helping Erik with sponor patches from the NFB and Allegra. br>

June 5 Moscow Evening
We made it to Moscow, everyone is here and getting ready to fly south tomorrow.

This is the view out our window.

Lennin
Here's a shot of a bust of Lenin before we left for Elbrus.

Encounter June 4
On the flight! Look who I ran
into... Kevin Cherilla one of our climbing team members. The Phoenix connection.

June 4 Stuck in Denver
Bad weather in Chicago and my flight is cancelled. United ticket counter has been great and is working with Lufthansa to re-book and re-route me to Moscow. Thank you to both airlines. Especially thanks to travel. agent Sally Berg for saving the day when it was starting to look grim.

Denver ready to go
Kevin Cherilla, Erik Weihenmayer, Eric Alexander waiting for takeoff.

June 4 Denver International Airport
Erik Weihenmayer, Chris Morris, Kevin Cherilla, Eric Van Alexander, Jeff Hauser and Kim Johnson on the way.

Photo by Sue Stage

Weihenmayer Family
Dad is off to climb another mountain. Ellen, Emma and Erik.

June 3 Excitement Growing
5:30a The last day to get ready. In 24 hours we will be heading to the airport. Denver, Chicago, London, Moscow, Russia and then a final leg to Mineral Voty near Mount Elbrus.

June 2 Packing for Trip
Skis, boots, poles, crampons, long underwear... The piles of gear are overwhelming my house.

We leave the day after tomorrow. What am I forgetting?

Previous expedition dispatches:

Tibet 2004
Ice Climbing at Vail
Long's Peak
"Farther Than the Eye Can See" North American Tour
Matterhorn Expedition Live
Mount Princeton Expedition Live
Kosciuszko Australia Expedition Live
Paraglide Lessons Expedition Live
Mount Elbrus Russia Expedition Live
Zugspitze Germany Expedition Live
The Beginning of Expedition Live
Serac Adventure Films